Sunday, 10 September 2017

She sat there in the coffee shop
sipping her coffee. It was not the first time she sat there alone. She was 22, working, divorced and living with her doting parents. She was passionate about her career and was a role model for many. Her personal life was not that successful yet she always had a smile on her face. An amicable person for whomever she met.

Today was yet another day she wanted to have coffee and talk to someone but amongst the 2340 friends on Facebook and 367 WhatsApp contacts she could find none to go out with.

The past few weeks had lessened her sheen. She was frustrated with the mundane life. Office started getting boring and the manipulations which she used to take lightly were now making her lose sleep.

She was independent and well brought up and that is how she took a good look at the phonebook and sent a few WhatsApp messages to meet up but no one was free. She took it all in stride and decided to take herself out for coffee again.

She chose a new cafe this time, ordered her coffee, took a table in the corner and took a book from her bag. But she was in no mood to read either. She couldn't bring herself to even open the book. She sat there looking around; the place was bustling with people, mostly youngsters. One of her hobbies, to observe people and lose herself in them was also not giving her peace today.

There was a lot of noise, in the cafe, and, even more in her head. She was tired of fighting her battles, she was tired of controlling her tears from her parents, she was tired of keeping a happy face, and she was tired of staying bold and carefree. She couldn't take it anymore, it seemed nothing was working and nothing will ever work. She had given enoughtrouble to her parents and maybe ending her life would be an end to all thedrama and questions, she thought.

The counter displayed her token number and as she was getting her coffee to her table she saw another girl enter the cafe, alone. She was dressed in blue jeans and a black cotton kurta, a bag in one hand and the phone in another, her hair tied in a tight bun, a blank face and eyes low, somehow she felt a connection with her.

She got to her table with her coffee but couldn't help watching the other girl constantly. She was a mirror image of her. She too ordered her coffee and took a seat but not in a corner, amongst the crowd. She kept on staring at her and all the while the other girl was busy in her phone until the counter buzzed her token number.

She saw her taking her coffee to her table, sitting there contemplating and adding sugar to the coffee - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 cubes, kept on stirring the coffee and still didn't like the bitterness. She mustered some courage and decided to go and speak to her after all they both were alone and maybe lonely.

She - Hi, can I sit here.

The other girl (with a blank face) – Ahem! Yes. Do I know you?

She - No. I was just sitting alone and having my coffee and saw you so thought we can sit together and have coffee.

The other girl - I am sorry, but I am waiting for someone and he'll be here anytime now. I think you should have your coffee at another table or you won't find any with the crowd filling up.

She - Oh! I am sorry. It was just I thought you were alone like me, so we could chat up while we had our coffee. Trust me I am straight...hahaha....I am really sorry.

The other girl (Her expressions getting softer) - It's ok. I am sorry I didn't mean it; it was just that I have never met or spoken to a stranger. You can sit here while he comes.

She (smiles) - Thanks. And my work makes me talk to strangers on a daily basis. I am a journalist. What do you do?

The other girl - I am a software engineer. And by the way my name is Misha.

And that is how they started to talk and revealed one thing after another about themselves. It is rightly said when two women get together they are never out of things to talk. They chatted on and on and were finally halted by a call by Misha's mother about where she was.

As she saw her watch it had been two hours that they were talking. She casually asked about her friend who hadn't reached yet. Misha said, there was no friend coming in the first place, it was just that she was scared of her.

Misha opened up more and told her, she was very depressed today with the turn of events. She is tired of her struggles; she is either on an unimportant project or without any work. People wait for the month-end for salaries; she is petrified if she gets a pink slip. She has been living alone in the city since the past eight months and it gets lonelier by the day. She wants to end it all. She has even attempted suicide twice.

That was more than enough for her to open her heart out. They sat there for another hour talking. Finally the two decided, in this city, they are going to be the go-to-pals for each other for those sad days. No matter what they are never letting the “loneliness” term come in their lives again. They may or may not get time to speak to each other on a daily basis but it'll be a ritual to meet each other every Sunday in this cafe at 4 pm without fail.

And that is how "this" cafe witnessed two sad girls coming for a lonely cup of coffee, going back as happy support friends.

P.S. Everybody is
struggling and going through their own battles, it is just that their way to battle it out is different. It is very easy to slip away in one weak moment and end it
all. The suicide rate is more than 8,00,000 people every year and 25 times of
this, people attempt suicide. 10th September 2017 is the World Suicide
Prevention Day – “Take a minute, change a life”. All it takes is courage, to speak up and take
help. People be open and accept without judging and the numbers will diminish.

Sunday, 27 August 2017

"The moon is high in the sky, as if mocking me. It's Cheshire cat grin is a reminder of all the smiles that I have missed. "

About The Author :

Rishabh Puri is an Indian business investor and entrepreneur. He is the Executive Director of Global Sterling Products Ltd and heads enterprises in Nigeria, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, India, China, and Netherlands.

Blurb

We’re all a little broken, and that’s okay.Or is it? Rick has a medical condition that makes his life different from the rest. But unlike others around him, he sees this not as a curse, but as an opportunity to cherish life and all the bitter-sweet gifts it brings with it.

Amidst frequent visits to the doctor, multiple surgeries that risk his life being, and a life that meant surveillance all the time, Rick has to fight for himself each day. But he pulls through, thanks to his family and friend Jacob, who become his pillars of strength.

And then, at a time when he is least expecting it, and with someone he meets by accident – love happens. It’s a new feeling for his heart and he is scared to lose it.

Will Lisa really understand the goodness of his heart or just walk away?

Inside the Heart of Hope is a story of strong will, perseverance and optimism which will make you wonder if sky is really the limit.

My View

As I always say, I am a sucker for romance and also for Bollywood movies and this book, my love, is what I want to read more and more.

I never heard of the author when the book was send for review all I knew was it is a love story. I started reading it without any expectations and perceptions and 4 pages down I had a smile on my face.

It is easy to comprehend, the book is authors own life story and how he tackles his problems and grows. The narration is simple, entertaining and exciting. What I liked the most is Rick :) Rick's attitude towards life is commendable. He has a life-threatening disease yet he is at ease. He is full of life and adds fun and humour to every tense situation without been insensitive or foolish.

One connects to the story easily. Though the story is not new if you are a bollywood fan but the narration never gets boring.

All in all a beautiful romantic book which kept me happy from beginning to the end and will keep you smiling too :)

Friday, 18 August 2017

About The Author : Sahil Mehta was born and brought up in India and is currently in Seattle. If you never try, you will never know is his first book. Apart from writing he enjoys fitness related activities and listening to music.

Blurb

Robin, who gets inspired by his mother to become a musician, is forced by his father to pursue the education needed to join their family business. This compels him to leave home at the age of eighteen to follow his dreams. In few months of independent living, his over-ambitious dreams turn into an obsession, which gets even more intense when he falls into a drug addiction, and mysteriously unleashes a new side to his life.

During this journey, he meets Aisha. They talk, play and fall in love. Her exquisite beauty defines the melody of his musical journey as they both fall deep in love with each other. But Robin's obsession with his dream and a struggling career become an obstacle in their relationship. Is their love strong enough to overcome complexities?

During these tumultuous times, Robin's flat mate Jordan begins to motivate him to follow his heart. Jordan becomes his philosopher and guru but not for very long-what makes Robin lose trust in him? Discover how he finds a spiritual path after being disheartened during his struggle to achieve success.

Amidst the ups and downs in his career, love and life, find out what destiny holds for Robin. Will he find success in music industry or will he end up joining his father's business? Experience a thrilling story that will inspire you to believe in your love and dreams.

My View

The story revovles around Robin, the main protagonist, his life and its twists and turns. I was drawn to the book as it is a love story but what held me along was his ambition, his passion. If you are the one who wants to live your dreams out then this is the book for you.

The way the author has described certain places it sets one's imagination free. It was beautiful and surreal to read the description. It is a nice light read and his story is an instant connect for ambitious people. So needless to say the best thing about this book for me was Robin's ambition indeed and what an apt title loved it totally, so motivating.

The negatives -

At certain points the story seems dragged. There are certain parts which may be cut short but overall a good read. I personally did'nt like the cover appeal.

Wednesday, 26 July 2017

About The AuthorNivedita N, a Hyderabadi has taken the yatra called poerty in 2007. He journey along with walks with poetry books include conversations with her muses over cups of chai or sitting near the Hussain Sagar Lake and a rendezvous with the historical figures. She currently resides in Milwaukee where she meets her muses over Caramel Coffee during Spring and Fall and hiberantes during Midwestern winters.

Blurb

Other Poems and Rustic Goddess by Nivedita Narsapuram is an observation of the life enfolding within us, around us, and beyond us. The poems are written to appeal the senses of the ones dipped in nostalgia; a magic realism lover and the romantics, among us. Also it marks the beginning of a new journey to be embarked on as an agnostic.

My View

This book is a collection of some short but very beautiful poems. I am in love with the quirky out of the box titles of the poems. I always like to quote my favourite lines for the review but this time I want to list the titles... That Short ButtonUnicorn IslandQuater to threeA glimpse of you are some of my personal favourites. The author has rendered a poetic vision to the small little things straight out of a normal household. Hence anyone can directly relate to them.

The negatives -

The biggest blunder in my eyes is a beautiful cover adorned with the wrong name. Yes, there is a poem titled Rusted Goddess and the cover but all the pages and the title she used as a footer says rustic. I don't know if the writer was in hurry or what but it did ruin something for me.

Smart, Suave and confident, Rashv is a young man in his early twenties whose claim to fame has been his never say die spirit.

His life lacked any excitement till one day he accidently discovers a strange connection with the number 23. He gets so obsessed with it that the number begins to influence everything he ever does. Roohi is a fiercely independent, headstrong girl who is relentlessly chasing her dreams in the corporate world before the 'burn out' happens. She craves for a change and takes a sabbatical from work when she happens to cross paths with Rashv who falls irrevocably in love with her.

They have a whirlwind romance before Rashv realizes that she does not quite fit in his number theory. On one hand is this number which has defined his life and on the other hand is the truest love he has ever felt.

Can a number run your life?

Is it justified to let it run your life? Dive into Rashv's world to find out.

My View

I am a sucker for romance and the title of the book "The 23rd Girl" intrigued me. The book is written in a simple language and is bound to connect with boys. Yes, you read it right! though girls are more known to fall for love stories, here is a book centered on boy, his playfulness and trysts. Rashv, the main lead is the boy-next-door turning into the most eligible bachlor and he is indeed very inspiring .

The character of Roohi is also well-written and though she occupies lesser space it does leaves one with a smile on face. Infact, I love the part where Roohi enters Rashv's life. The chemistry between the two and the way the story moves from there on is very gripping and emotional.

Some beautiful lines from the book -

"There's a reason why we have ribcages, our hearts have wings."

"Life's not about how hard of a hit you can give back, its about how many hits you can take and still keep moving forward."

"The overwhelming amount of guilt one needs to deal with when you just decide to let people go, slip away from your fingers like dry sand."

"The thing about heartbreak is that....you may not realise it, but it's permanent.".

The negatives -

It has a slow beginning and at places abrupt sequence. I want the author to leave some moments to readers imagination but there are certain places were the depiction is way too much. and some places very less.

Overall I will rate it 2.5/5 as for the slow and predictable story line, I didn't find it gripping enough. It may strike a chord with people looking for something - light and easy.

A blogger is a writer and always dreams to become an author. "Writing tools" is an ebook which lays down 26 tips on writing and marketing.

About the author

Cheryl Sterling is an American author of several paranormal and contemporary romance novels and short stories. Her first novel, What Do You Say to a Naked Elf?, was a finalist in the TARA contest and was later sold to Leisure Books, an imprint of Dorchester Publishing. Cheryl is a co-founder and past president of Grand Rapids Region Writers Group in Grand Rapids, MI. She has conducted several workshops that focused on the writing craft and co-chaired their first “I’ve Always Wanted to Write a Book” regional conference. In her spare time (she’s retired, so there’s that, but she writes a lot, so, never mind), she reads. All genres (except suspense and horror because she reserves the right to mess with readers’ minds). She loves history (lots of ideas to steal borrow), sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, Regencies (who knew so many eligible Dukes were around?), anything Doctor Who, and/or quantum entanglement. Her passion is learning and improving her craft, but mostly, she is a teacher. Cheryl currently lives in Phoenix with her husband and their cat, Coco Xena.

Plot Summary

The book is a compilation of 26 blogposts of Cheryl, a seasoned writer, as she participated in #AprilAtoZBloggingChallenge 2017. She has been writing since long and so took up the theme of writing tools. The book elaborates on the important tools which one should use if one wants to venture into writing a book.

My View

I stumbled upon this book through Blogchatter, it was listed on there ebook carnival. I am an aspiring author and this year wrote my second ebook- Just as it happened . I chose Writing Tools to read and review as part of the carnival and my my!! this book is fabulous.

For any novice planning to writer and become a published author it lays down tips and tricks starting from the very basic drafting, use of images or making your own to promoting oneself as an Amazon author or promoting the book using the various social media tools.

Cheryl lays down the writing tools as well as has put in her personal pointers which people like me can easily copy for a start. I am using this book as a constant guide. In simple words, this is an easy compilation of what steps to follow if you want to be an established author.

Love has different meaning for different people.The post is part of my seven day challenge, BAR-A-THON. For the challenge I will be writing every alternate day from Jun 17 to Jun 30 and my theme is "SEVEN"